Thumbpiece actuated lock mechanism



Feb- 15, 1956 F. J. RUSSELL ETAL 3,234,764

THUMBPIECE ACTUATED LOCK MECHANISM Filed March 25, 1964 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 LM *um JM ATTOQN Ev Feb. 15, 1966 F. .1. RUSSELL ETAL 3,234,764

THUMBPIECE AGTUATED LOCK MECHANISM Filed March 23, 1964 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 FRED J. Russe/L 650265 B, So/.o l//EFF- INVENTORS ATTORNEY United States Patent O 3,234,764 THUMBPIECE ACTUATED LOCK MECHANISM Fred J. Russell, 8635 Gtis St., South Gate, Calif., and

George B. Solovie, San Clemente, Calif.; said Soloviet'r assigner to said Russell Filed Mar. 23, 1964, Ser. No. 353,742 Claims. (Cl. 70-153) The invention relates to door locks which feature a vertically positioned handle, above the upper end of which is a thumbpiece which is manipulated to retract a conventional latch bolt.

Thumbpiece actuated door locks, in common with other kinds of door locks, have been undergoing considerable revision in the interest of simplifying and streamlining the lock mechanisms and housings for containing them, while at the same time producing a device available in suitable quantities to supply an increasing volume of trade. Thumbpiece actuated mechanisms heretofore available, although capable of withdrawing a latch bolt by manipulation lof a thumbpiece, have made use of parts too numerous and complicated to ibe acceptable under present-day circumstances and also too involved to be capable of manufacture and assembly under increasingly :stringent price competition. Also, insutiicient attention has been given to appropriate means for blocking manipulation of the thumbpiece actuated parts on the outside of the door by an appropriate structure on the inside of the door.

It is therefore among the objects of the invention to provide a new and improved lock mechanism of the style which usually employs a vertical handle wherein the number of parts is held substantially to a minimum and arranged in a simple, flat assembly which is easy to operate when mounted upon a door.

Another object of the invention is to provide a new and improved door lock of the thumbpiece actuated type wherein the operating parts are so designed that sliding motion is depended upon to a large extent for not only transferring movement, but also to block that movement when the door is to lbe locked.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a new and improved door lock of the thumbpie-ce actuated type wherein the lever elements needed respectively for manipulating the spindle from the outside, manipulating the spindle from the inside, and for locking and releasing the motions, are made more simpleand compact, so that the lock is positive in its operation, easy to manipulate, and also such that the elements, when assembled in -a lock, occupy virtually a minimum amount of room.

Further included among the objects of the invention is to provide a new and improved door lo-ck of the thumbpiece actuated type which is extremely simple and compact so as to be capable of being housed in a relatively flat housing in the front of the door, and where the parts constitute a simple mechanical means relying upon sliding and rotating movements of a limited type, whereby to provide a particularly reliable but relatively inexpensive thumbpiece type lock.

With these and other objects in view, the invention consists in the construction, arrangement and combination of the various parts of the device, whereby the objects contemplated are attained, as hereinafter set forth, pointed out in the appended claims and illustrated in the accompanying drawings.

In the drawings z" FIGURE 1 is a side elevational view of the thumbpiece actuated door lock mounted upon a door in operative position.

FIGURE 2 is a front elevational view of the outer side of the door lock of FIGURE l.

lee

FIGURE 3 is a longitudinal sectional view taken on t-he line 3 3 of FIGURE 2.

FIGURE 4 is a rear elevational view on the line 4 4 of FIGURE 3 showing the lock in unlocked or unblocked position before manipulation of the thumbpiece.

FIGURE 5 is a view similar to FIGURE 4 but s'howing the position of the parts after the thumbpiece has been manipulated to -rotate the spindle.

FIGURE 6 is a view similar to FIGURES 4 and 5 but showing the position of the parts when the lock is blocked against opening from the outside.

FIGURE 7 is a fragmentary longitudinal sectional view taken on the line 7 7 of FIGURE 6.

FIGURE 8 is a fragmentary cross-sectional view taken on the line 8 8 of FIGURE 7.

FIGURE 9 is an exploded perspective view of portions of the mechanisms adjacent the spindle used for blocking operation of the slide plate.

FIGURE 10 is a perspective view of the parts shown in FIGURE 9 wherein `they have been moved to assembled operative position.

The disclosure herein, although set forth in detail with respect to a single embodiment of the invention, is for the purpose of illustration only of the inventive concept, even though directed specifically to a particular operating structure. In the drawings, the reference character 10 has been used to generally indicate a door lock mounted upon a door 11, the exterior of the door lock consisting in general of a handle 12 in vertical position on the door, above which is located a tilting thumbpiece 13. On the opposite side of the door is a rotating knob 14, and a latch bolt on an edge 16 of the door 11 is adapted to be manipulated by both the thumbpiece 13 and the rotating knob 14 with the help of a square tubular spindle 19.

.For purposes of illustration, the door '11 will be understood to have an outside face 17 and Ian inside face 18 indicating that the handle 12 is normally on the outside face `17 of the door 11 which in most instances would be a front door where the lock is employed for residential installations.

The referencecharacter 20 has been used to designate all of the parts which constitute in general a frame for supporting the operating parts and for mounting them upon the door 11. The frame 20 consists of a front plate 21, a back plate 22, upper and lower end plates 23 and 24 respectively, and right and left side plates 25 and 26 respectively as viewed in FIGURE 2. These plates dene a chamber 27 which is relatively flat and of substantially limited extent.

The square tubular spindle 19 has an end 28 rotatably mounted in an appropriate hole 29 in the .back plate 22. On the extremity of the end 28 is `a disc 30 which, in effect, provides a crank arm for a crank 31. A solid square shaft 32 is rotatably contained within the square tubular spindle 19 and extends inwardly through the rotating knob 14 in a substantially conventional fashion where it attaches to a turn button 33.

A stationary plate element 34 is mounted within the chamber 27 upon upper right and left hand pegs 35 and lower right and left hand pegs 35. A slide plate 36y is mounted adjacent the inside Aface of the plate element 34 `and is provided with shoes 37 which are adapted to slide upon the inside face of the back plate 22.

A pin 38 rotatably mounts and secures the thumbpiece 13 to a bracket 39. At the inner end of the thumbpiece 13 is a cylindrical drive portion 40 which engages an oversized aperture 41 in the slide plate 36 in such fashion that the upper portion of the aperture 41 serves as a shoulder against which the drive portion can lift. A relatively wide, long slot 42 in the plate element 34 permits the drive portion 40 to move freely up and down.

A spring 43 engages at its upper end a keeper 44 in the plate ele-ment 34 and at its lower end a keeper 45 on the slide plate 36.

The slide plate 36, supported as previously described upon the drive portion 40 of the thumbpiece 13, is adapted to swing, in general, with a pendulum like motion as viewed in FIGURES 4 and 5, for example. Guidance for the slide plate 36 is provided in part by the right hand peg 35', as viewed in FIGURES 4, 5, 6, and 10, and upper and lower edges 51 and 52 respectively of an opening 50 which together form a clearance for and a cam track to cooperate -with the respective peg 35 which lies in the opening 50. The peg 35 thereby serves as a camming means.

Initially, a shoulder 46 occupies the position shown in FIGURE 4. In this position, it is at a location substantially removed from the crank 31, which is then free to rotate in an arcuate space 47 cut out of the slide plate 36. This motion is necessary in order to permit the square tubular spindle 19 to be rotated in a conventional manner by the knob 14 to manipulate the latch bolt 15.

When the square tubular spindle 19 is to be manipulated by the thumbpiece 13, the shoulder 46 needs to be moved into engagement with the crank 31. This is accomplished when the slide plate 36 is lifted by action of the drive portion 40 of the thumbpiece 13 throughout the rst portion of its movement.

From the position and direction of the edge 51, it will be observed that as the slide plate 36 is moved upwardly by manipulation of the thumbpiece 13, the lower end of the slide plate 36 will move from left toward the right, as viewed in FIGURES 4, 5, and 6, as it is permitted to do by the sloping direction of the edge 51. In this way, the shoulder 46 will be brought into engagement with an adjacent edge of the crank 31 as soon as the slide plate 36 moves upwardly enough to close the initial distance between the shoulder 46 and the crank 31. Movement toward the right will continue until the engaged edge of the crank 31 passes its transverse center line. Thereafter, as the slide plate 36 continues to move upwardly, the edge 52 will come to bear against the peg 35 as viewed in FIGURE 5. In this way, the shoulder 46 is maintained in positive engagement with t-he crank 31. This movement, in addition to being a vertical movement of the slide plate 36, is also a tilting or pivotable movement of the slide plate 36 in a manner such that the lower end of the slide plate 36, as exemplified in part by the shoulder 46, pivots about the drive portion 40 as a center of rotation. Hence, the wall of the slot 42 may be said to 'constitute .a shoulder in the upper end of the sli-de plate 36 in engagement with the drive portion 40.

When the thumbpiece 13 is released, tension built up in the spring 43 will return the slide plate 36 downwardly. The cam track embodied in the edges 52 and 51 will become operative against the peg 35', thus limiting the slideto-side movement of the slide plate 36 until it reaches the position as shown in FIGURE 4. The slide plate 36 will move the shoulder 46 to the position of FIGURES 4 and 6, where space is left between the shoulder 46 and the crank 31, so that the crank 31 can again be freely rotated by manipulation of the knob 14.

From the foregoing description of parts andv their movement, it will be `apparent that about the only parts needed to translate a vertical tilting movement of the thumbpiece 13 and drive portion 40 to a rotating movement for the square tubular spindle 19 is the slide plate 36 pivotally hung upon the drive portion 40 and guided during its movement by engagement between crank 31 and shoulder 46.

In order to block manipulation `of the thumbpiece 13, the present structure makes provision for mechanism blocking the vertical reciprocating motion of the slide plate 36. The mechanism involved includes a blocking arm 55 having a blocker 56 at the outermost end. The blocking arm 4 55 has an opening 57 into which lits a rectangular projection 58 at the inner end of a tailpiece 59, the outer end of the tailpiece 59 being attached to a conventional keyoperated mechanism in a housing 54. The somewhat buttertly-like shape of the opening 57 is to provide for a degree of lost motion, making allowance for manipulation of the solid square shaft 32. On the blocking arm 55 is a circular projection 55 which is received in a complementary hole 55" in the plate element 34 Iwhereby to rotatably mount the blocking arm 55 on the frame 20.

To provide the degree of security expected of a lock like that incorporating the present invention, a stop 48 is made use of on the plate element 34. The stop 48 is shown in elevation in FIGURES 4, 5 and 6 and in section in FIGURES 3 and 7. The stop 4S may be pressed from the material of the plate element 34 as shown or added thereto as an extra piece and rmly anchored in place. Formed as described, the stop 43 is part of the stationary portion of the lock 10. To match a curved edge 49 of the blocker 56, the stop 48 has an arcuate lower edge 53. Formed as shown and described, the blocker 56 can be rotated into position beneath the stop 48, as shown in FIGURE 6. Hence, when upward pressure is instituted `against the drive portion 46 when it is in blocking position, the blocker 56 is squeezed between a shoulder 64 of the slide plate 36 and the arcuate lower edge 53.

A dished portion 63 is adapted to slide freely in a relatively wide opening 65 in the plate element 34.

To manipulate the blocker 56 and move it from released position, as shown in FIGURES 4, 5, and l0, for example, to blocked position, as shown in FIGURE 6, it is necessary merely to insert and rotate a key 66 and thus rotate clockwise, through the tailpiece 59, the blocking arm 55 and blocker 56, as viewed in FIGURES 4, 5, 6, and l0, to the position of FIGURE 6. In the last identified position, a shoulder 62 of the blocker 56 will overlie the shoulder 64 of the slide plate 36, and thereafter the slide plate 36 cannot be manipulated from outside by movement of the thumbpiece 13. The slide plate 36 can be unlocked merely by rotating the key 66 in the opposite direction, thereby to rotate the blocking arm 55 and the blocker 56 in a counterclockwise direction from the position of FIG- URE 6 to the position of FIGURES 4 or 5, for example. Thereafter, the thumbpiece 13 can be manipulated as usual.

In order that it may also be possible to unblock the blocker 56 from the inside by use of the turn button 33, a rock arm 67 is nonrotatably mounted upon the solid square shaft 32. A circular projection 67 on the back of rock arm 67, as shown in FIGURE 3, tits rotatably in a hole 69 in the blocking arm 55. A hole 63 in the rock arm 67 lits over a tab 61 on the blocking arm 55. Consequently, by rotation of the turn button 33 and the attached solid square shaft 32 in one direction, namely, clockwise, as viewed in FIGURES 4 and 5, for example, the rock arm 67, being moved, moves also the blocker 56 because of the interconnection of the hole 68 with the tab 61. Rotation, as described, therefore, is capable of moving the shoulder 62 of the blocker 56 over the shoulder 64 of the slide plate 36, thereby to block manipulation of the slide plate 36 by the thumbpiece 13. Conversely, when the device is to be unblocked by operation of the turn button 33, irrespective of how it may be blocked, the turn button 33, and the attached solid square shaft 32 is again rotated in a counter-clockwise direction, as viewed in FIGURES 4, 5, 6, and 10 for example, thereby rotating the rock arm 67 in a counter-clockwise direction. Again, because of engagement of the tab 61 in the hole 68, the blocking arm 55 will also be moved counter-clockwise until the shoulder 62 is disengaged from a position over the shoulder 64. The return motion will be aided to a degree by a return spring 6i).

Extra security is provided by the stop 48. Although a clearance is shown, in FIGURE 6, between the blocker 56 and the stop 48, this is merely a working clearance. With the blocker 56 in the blocked position shown and described, should the lifting force on the slide plate 36 be greater than could be resisted by the rotatable mounting of the rock arm 67 in the blocking arm 55 and the bl-ocking arm 55 in the plate element 34, the blocker 56 is additionally prevented by the stop 43 from being disturbed from its blocking position. The blocker 56 will merely be shifted a short distance suflicient to close the clearance between the curved upper edge 49 of the blocker 56 and the arcuate lower edge 53 of the stop 48, and, thereafter, the stop 48, and accordingly, the plate element 34 will hold the blocker `56 in position, thus blocking movement of the slide plate 36.

Because of the rotating structure and mounting of the blocking arm 55 and its associated parts, these may be compacted in a very small space within the chamber 27. To make it possible for the blocker 56 to engage the slide plate 36, all that is needed is to deform or dish the slide plate 36 to form the shoulder 64 upon it. Moreover, to allow plenty of freedom for the slide plate 36 to swing laterally while being operated by the thumbpiece 13, the wide opening `65 of the plate element 34 allows for whatever motion may be necessary of the dished portion 63 as the slide plate 36 swings relative to the plate element 34. Moreover, as shown and described, the blocking and unblocking actions of the blocker 56 are accomplished by operation of the turn button 33 at the knob 14 or by manipulation of a key 66 from the outside- It is further of consequence to note that the rock arm 67 is compactly contained between the disc and the `blocking arm 55. The arcuate space 47 cut out of the slide plate 36 accommodates very nicely the disc 3l), the rock arm 67 and the blocking arm 55, so that they can be compacted very neatly, and with a minimum of space within the chamber 27. Moreover, since these parts all perform their functions by a rotating motion, one with respect to the other, they can be depended upon t-o operate very effectively, despite the fact that all parts are in the small space provided for them.

While the invention has herein been shown and described in what is conceived t-o be the most practical and preferred embodiment, it is recognized that departures may b-e made therefrom within the scope of the invention, which is not to be limited to the details disclosed herein but is to be accorded the full scope of the claims so as to embrace any and all equivalent devices.

Having described the invention, what is claimed as new in support of Letters Patent is:

1. A door lock structure including a frame adapted to be mounted on a door, a tubular spindle and a locking shaft both rotatably mounted on the structure, a crank arm in nonrotatable engagement with said spindle, a crank on said crank arm, a manually actuated thumbpiece on the frame having a path of movement relative to said frame, a slide plate slidably mounted on said frame, a rst drive shoulder on said slide plate in engagement with said thumbpiece, a second drive shoulder on said drive plate adjacent said crank, guide means on said frame and complementary guide means on said slide plate, a tailpiece rotatably mounted on said frame, blocking means rotatably mounted on said frame for blocking movement of said slide plate, said blocking means including a blocking arm, said blocking arm being in nonrotatable engagement with said locking shaft, a blocking shoulder on said slide plate, and a blocker on said blocking arm having a blocking position overlying said blocking shoulder and an unblocking position removed therefrom.

2. A door lock structure including a frame adapted to be mounted on a door, a tubular spindle and a locking shaft both rotatably mounted on the structure, a crank arm in nonrotatable engagement with said spindle, a crank -on said crank arm, a manually actuated thumbpiece on the frame having a path of movement relative to said frame, a slide plate slidably mounted on said frame, a

first drive shoulder on said slide plate in engagement with said thumbpiece, a second drive shoulder on said drive plate adjacent said crank, guide means on said frame and complementary guide means on said slide plate, a tailpiece rotatably mounted on said frame, blocking means rotatably mounted on said frame for blocking movement of said slide plate, said blocking means including a blocking arm, said blocking arm being in nonrotatable engagement with said locking shaft, a blocking shoulder on' said slide plate, and a blocker on said blocking arm having a blocking position overlying said blocking shoulder and an unblocking position removed therefrom.

3. A door lock structure including a frame adapted to be mounted on a door, a tubular spindle and a blocking shaft both rotatably mounted on said structure, a crank arm in nonrotatable engagement With thel spindle, a crank on said crank arm, a manually actuated thumbpiece pivotally mounted on the frame and a drive portion of said thumbpiece having a path of movement relative to said frame, a slide plate slidably mounted on said frame, a tirst drive shoulder on said slide plate in engagement with said drive portion, a second drive shoulder on said drive plate adjacent said crank, guide means on said frame and complementary guide means on said slide plate, a tailpiece rotatably mounted on said frame, a blocking arm having a lost motion engagement with the tailpiece for movement thereby and rotatably mounted on said frame, a blocking shoulder -on said slide plate, a blocker on said blocking arm, said blocker having a blocking position overlying said blocking shoulder and an unblocking position removed fromsaid blocking shoulder, a rock arm in nonrotatable 'engagement with said locking shaft, and a connection between said rock arm and said blocking arm whereby to enable blocking and. unblocking of said blocker by said locking shaft.

4. A door lock structure including a frame adapted to be mounted on a door, a tubular spindle rotatably mounted on said structure, a locking shaft rotatably contained in said tubular spindle, a crank arm in nonrotatable engagement with the spindle and a crank on said crank arm, a manually actuated thumbpiece pivotally mounted on the frame and a drive portion of said thumbpiece having a path of movement relative to said frame, a slide plate slidably mounted on said frame, a rst drive shoulder on said slide plate in engagement with said drive portion, a second drive shoulder on said drive plate adjacent said crank, guide means on said frame and cornplementary guide means on said slide plate, one of said guide means having a relieved portion to enable said slide plate to follow movement of said crank while said crank assumes successive positions of rotational movement, a tailpiece rotatably mounted on said frame in axial alignment with the spindle, a blocking arm in engagement with the tailpiece and movable by operation of said tailpiece, said blocking arm being rotatably mounted on said frame in axial alignment with said spindle, a blocking shoulder on said slide plate, a blocker on said arm, said blocker having a blocking position overlying said blocking shoulder and an unblocking position removed from said blocking shoulder, a rock arm in nonrotatable engagement with said locking shaft, a connection between said rock arm and said blocking arm whereby to enable blocking and unblocking of said blocker by said locking shaft, said slide plate having an open space therein adjacent said second shoulder, said crank arm, said rock arm, and said blocker arm tbeing mounted contiguously in parallel planes in said open space.

5. A door lock structure including a frame adapted to be mounted on a door, a tubular spindle rotatably mounted on said structure, a locking shaft rotatably contained in said tubular spindle, a crank arm in nonrotatable engagement with the spindle and a crank on said crank arm, a key housing -on the frame, a manually actuated thumbpiece pivotally mounted on said frame and a drive portion of said thumbpiece having a path of movev.said crank whereby to permit conventional rotation of the spindle, guide means on said frame and complementary guide means on said slide plate, one of said guide means having a relieved porti-on to enable movement of said slide plate in a progressively varying direction relation to the axis of the spindle, a tailpiece mounted on said frame for operation by a key, a blocking arm having a rotational lost motion engagement with the tailpiece for movement thereby and rotatably mounted on said frame, said blocking arm being on the side of said slide plate opposite from said crank ar-m, a blocking shoulder on said slide plate, a blocker on said arm, said blocker having a blocking position overlying said blocking shoulder and an unblocking position removed from said blocking shoulder, a rock arm in nonrotatable engagement with said locking shaft, a connection between said rock arm and said blocking arm whereby to enable blocking and unblocking of said blocker by operation of said locking shaft, said crank being extended to a lposition of engagernent with one of said arms whereby to enable unblocking of said blocker by operation of said spindle.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 437,590 9/1890 Gleason 70-150 1,720,637 6/1929 Wread 70-150 2,266,106 12/1941 Voight et al. 70-153 2,752,773 6/1956 Abelson et al. 70-153 X 2,784,993 3/1957 Collar 70-150 X 2,854,838 10/1958 Foster 70-153 X 2,887,866 5/1959 Leslie et al. 70-153 3,064,462 11/1962 Ng et al. 70-153 JOSEPH D. SEERS, Primary Examiner. 

1. A DOOR LOCK STRUCTURE INCLUDING A FRAME ADAPTED TO BE MOUNTED ON A DOOR, A TUBULAR SPINDLE AND A LOCKING SHAFT BOTH ROTATABLY MOUNTED ON THE STRUCTURE, A CRANK ARM IN NONROTATABLE ENGAGEMENT WITH SAID SPINDLE, A CRANK ON SAID CRANK ARM, A MANUALLY ACTUATED THUMBPIECE ON THE FRAME HAVING A PATH OF MOVEMENT RELATIVE TO SAID FRAME, A SLIDE PLATE SLIDABLY MOUNTED ON SAID FRAME, A FIRST DRIVE SHOULDER ON SAID SLIDE PLATE IN ENGAGEMENT WITH SAID THUMPIECE, A SECOND DRIVE SHOULDER ON SAID DRIVE PLATE ADJACENT SAID CRANK, GUIDE MEANS ON SAID FRAME AND COMPLEMENTARY GUIDE MEANS ON SAID SLIDE PLATE, A TAILPIECE ROTATABLY MOUNTED ON SAID FRAME, BLOCKING MEANS ROTATABLY MOUNTED ON SAID FRAME FOR BLOCKING MOVEMENT OF SAID SLIDE PLATE, SAID BLOCKING MEANS INCLUDING A BLOCKING ARM, SAID BLOCKING ARM BEING IN NONROTATABLE ENGAGEMENT WITH SAID LOCKING SHAFT, A BLOCKING SHOULDER ON SAID SLIDE PLATE, AND A BLOCKER ON SAID BLOCKING ARM HAVING A BLOCKING POSITION OVERLYING AND BLOCKING SHOULDER AND AN UNBLOCKING POSITION REMOVED THEREFROM. 